Black Blood

Chapter 69



I look surprised into the two red eyes. I have not seen those eyes before. The blue has given way to a dark red colour. The colour is similar to the colour of blood, so deep and dark. In amazement I stare at the unusual colour, totally forgetting that Nelly called something and that I am hanging around Novak’s hips. Much too soon, Novak blinks his eyes and the red gives way to blue again.

‘Thank you, Nelly,’ Novak shouts. I start laughing at the awkward situation and try to escape from Novak’s grip, but he doesn’t seem to have any intention of letting me go. He holds me firmly by my legs. His amused look quickly changes to discomfort. His cheeks turn a light pink, not that they were already pink when we kissed, but now they are different, more uncomfortable. His eyes deviate from my gaze.

‘Sorry, I got too carried away,’ he murmurs. This is not only the first time I’ve seen a glimpse of Novak as a vampire, but also the first time I’ve seen him uncomfortable.

At first, I don’t understand what he means. My eyes glide over his face. Only his pink cheeks provide colour. His skin is and remains milky white. I say nothing to his apology, I don’t know what.

‘I don’t want to scare you,’ he adds. He continues to look away and slowly I begin to understand that he is referring to his eyes. I lift my hand, running my fingers through his soft blonde hair.

‘Your eyes are beautiful, both of them,’ I whisper. Slowly he turns his head and the two blue eyes look at me again. His eyes shoot back and forth over my face. I smile slightly.

‘It doesn’t scare you?’ he asks softly. I shake my head. It is the truth. The moment I opened my eyes and saw the two dark red eyes, I was surprised, but startled I never was. I have seen worse things than two red eyes. With the knowledge that those eyes are Novak’s, there is no way they could scare me. The moment I think of that, I am sure I trust Novak.

‘They’re yours, you don’t scare me,’ I reply, running my fingers through his hair once more. His eyes begin to twinkle at my words. A smile plays on his lips, the discomfort seems gone.

‘Fuck, you’re really nice,’ he answers hoarsely. A warm feeling creeps up on me and a smile appears on my lips. No one has ever said that to me before and I never thought those words would feel so good.

Before I can laugh or say anything back, our lips meet again. I feel warm, loved and at ease. I no longer think about how my lips move over his. All I focus on is how good it feels, how right and familiar. My hands automatically slide through his hair.

My head grows even emptier as his tongue slides along mine. Licking, probing, hungry and above all lustful. I do not even realise that I am moving my hips, which are still wrapped around his, against his. It is an automatic instinct, searching for something. My body feels warm, my stomach tingles. Harder I press my lips against his, yearning for more.

I only realise that I am moving my hips as soon as a small choked moan leaves Novak’s lips. I only recognise that sound from Christian, but my feelings about it are completely different. With Christian I despised that sound, now it is like music to my ears that I want to hear again and again. It awakens a longing in me that I didn’t know existed.

I want to press myself even closer to Novak, but I don’t get the chance. Novak pantingly takes his lips from mine. As soon as I open my eyes the two red eyes meet me.

‘As much as I would like to pull that dress off your body right now. I need to show you something first.’ His breathing is agitated and this time the red does not go away

immediately. I look at him questioningly, and a little anxiously. What should he show me? Is it something good or something bad? I don’t want this moment to be ruined. I want to stay in this haze of warmth and trust.

I watch Novak’s gaze to find out if his surprise is something good or something bad. His hair is tousled, his lips swollen and red. A smile plays on his lips. Someone wouldn’t smile if they had bad news a few minutes later, right?

‘Don’t look so anxious,’ Novak says, smiling as he starts to walk with me in his arms. Again I try to escape from his grasp but in vain. He only slowly lets go of me when we are standing in the corner of the warehouse. I put my feet carefully on the floor and look around me.

We are standing on the spot of the hatch. Over the hatch lies the same coat that is always there. Novak bends down and takes the coat from its place. He throws it down somewhere behind him and stands still. I look at him questioningly when he does not seem to have the intention of doing anything.

‘Open it,’ he encourages me with a smile. Underneath the smile, I see an expression that looks like nerves. Only then do I notice that he is rocking back and forth on his feet. In doubt, I grab the hatch and pull it open. The piece of wood falls backwards and lands with a soft thud on the floor.

Surprised, I look at the opening in the hatch. Normally it is a dark hole where you cannot see beyond the first steps of the staircase. Now a yellow light flickers from the hole. I look at Novak in surprise, not knowing what to think.

‘Go on,’ he says encouragingly. Doubtful, I look at the light, not knowing what to expect. My thoughts are blank, not knowing what to think. With the realisation that I trust Novak in the back of my mind, I put my right foot on the first step. Step by step I slowly walk down the stairs. My back is turned to the open space so that I cannot see where the light is coming from.

As soon as both my feet are on the wooden floor, I slowly turn around. The sight that comes to me takes my breath away. Tears of emotion prick my eyes. Nailed to the floor, I look into the previously dusty, dirty and cramped cellar. I cannot believe that I did not realise when this happened.

Overwhelmed, I let my eyes slide over the totally changed cellar. The overflowing cupboards have been cleared out and half empty. All the clutter that used to lie on the floor has been removed. The floor is clean and lined with several deer hides. Our little dirty mattress with a couple of blankets has made way for a thick double mattress, with an actual duvet and pillows. As if all this were not enough, the entire room is lit with dozens of burning candles.

For a few minutes, minimum, I stand staring at the transformed cellar. I didn’t realise anything about this transformation. When and who did this is completely unclear to me. I am endlessly grateful to whoever did this. It stank in here, the mattress was so soft you had to lie on the floor and you couldn’t move without knocking something over.

As soon as I can shift my attention a little, I slowly turn to Novak. During the time I was staring, Novak climbed down. He has been standing behind me the whole time and has not said anything. His blue eyes look at me with a nervousness. There is a smile on his face. I stare at him, too overwhelmed to say anything.

‘Congratulations Cell.’


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